No question! Despite this tree being completely dead it still hurt when that chainsaw took the first bite into the magnificent base of this fir some four feet in diameter. Not that there is a picture of that fir in today’s set of photos.

Trees are the ancient spirits in our world. We forget that some live for thousands of years. Recent scientific research suggests that they use fungi threads, running underground, to communicate with each other. Also, mother trees can differentiate her own seedling offspring from those of other trees. Even more astounding, is that mother trees can send some of their own nutrients to their nearby offspring, to help their growth along.

That peaceful feeling that surrounds us on a walk through virgin forests, is more replenishing to our own spirits than any visit to a Cathedral. Trees are the spirits that really help us to connect with mother earth and our concept of ‘God.’

What very interesting information, Colette. Don’t suppose you have the links to that scientific research?

Regarding your description of what it feels like to be among trees we are so fortunate to have about six acres here at home, out of a total property area of thirteen acres, that are still wild forest.

I was speaking with Dan just the other day and we were discussing the human obsession with religion; we are both atheists. Dan still thought there was a spiritual dimension to life that was loftier than the affairs of ‘man’, something I strongly believe, and my contribution was that it was Nature.

When I commune with the trees and feed the wild deer, just about every morning around 6am, I sense strongly that feeling of peace you describe.

I guess that I would concur with your atheism on a man-made religious level. But there is something that governs all life…something that is just beyond the grasp of perfect comprehension, but it is definitely there! We are the perfect representations of universal patterns; Patterns that connect us to everything. We are not separate, but patterns within the whole of existence, cooperating in the dance that we call life!😊💖

Okay! Now clear about my response to your profoundly deep view. That is that I don’t have the knowledge about the concept of universal patterns. Indeed, no understanding at all. But the challenge I would have with the idea of “the dance” is the implication that it isn’t the random consequence of billions of years of geological and natural evolution. That dances and patterns have, at least a requirement for an orchestra and a conductor. A recent article in Science magazine underscored the overall irrelevance of life: of all the mass and energy in the universe around 5% is in the form of stars and planets!

Fractal patterning governs most of life (including our own body). I say ‘most,’ because I am not sure if there are any exceptions to Fibonacci Fractals (mathematical formulae) rule.

GeneticFractals is an engineer and mathematician. He has a keen interest in how fractals form, and has generated patterns within the computer model…. In his own words, what fractal patterning came out of that model…

” I would expect that 1 in 10’000 would be stunning, 1 in 100’000 would be approaching beauty and inspiration of a degree that we see in a beautiful flower. 1 in a billion would approximate life. 1 in a trillion would approximate intelligent life.”

The patterns self generate, but there is a random nature to them. Is life an accident? Perhaps, but maybe it isn’t.

Lovely Paul! Have you seen Dame Judi Dench’s recent BBC documentary – My Passion for Trees. It was very inspiring and as Collette above says, very revealing about the private world of trees. It was beautifully filmed as well. The trailer – https://youtu.be/wK7wLbQGI08

As it happens, Margaret, we did get to see that fabulous documentary via the BBC iPlayer when we were recently in England. It was wonderful and the link to the trailer is a great inclusion in your reply.